The Solid Hold (The IQ Testing Book 4) Read online

  The mayor nods, smiling. “I am so glad that Nephella has asked that particular question among ya’ll. Because, I would guess, here, today, that some of ya’ll will be permanently located someplace else, after the encounter. If you correctly answer the question, then you become a permanent citizen of Colfax. If you do not answer the question, correctly, then you will become hung by your neck muscles, until you stop wiggling or breathing, whichever comes first,” she giggles.

  The teens gasp.

  “Death!?” Duchie screams, sneering at the mayor.

  “We die, if we don’t answer the question, correctly.” Rincon growls, hugging onto Duchie.

  Jara bursts into tears. Hatch cuddles her, whispering into her face.

  I growl, stomping towards the mayor, when Buffo cuddles me. I shout. “I will not play your silly stupid mind games…”

  The mayor nods. “This is not a mind game. Well, it is a mind game that you must win or lose your skull.” She giggles.

  “I am your daughter.” Nephella frowns.

  The mayor snarls at her daughter. “You are a traitor to the mayor, Nephella. You helped them, not me. I trusted you to carry on my traditions...”

  “…and murders. You’re correct. I am not your daughter, ever.” Nephella snarls.

  The mayor frowns then sours. “So, I believe that I have addressed all the questions. There are only four dream jobs. I, also, predict that there will be only…”

  “Mother!?” Nephella yells, sneering at her relative.

  The mayor smoothes her golden ankle-length gown with her hands, nodding. “I have explained the new Cubby Hole rules. They are both elegant and simple. We should start. Who wants to go, first?”

  Nephella stomps forward. “I go, first, Mother…”

  The mayor frowns at Nephella. “Ladies should always go, first. Therefore, Lamis will be first into the me-chee chair. You remember how it works. Right, darling?”

  Nephella sneers. “I go, first, Mother…”

  “I am mayor, here, always and forever.” The mayor touches her cell.

  A single me-chee strolls from the girl’s bathroom, wearing a pair of white elbow length gloves and a red plantation dress and black curls over her golden metal skin. It stops beside the mayor.

  The mayor orders to the me-chee. “No teen is to leave the Cubby Hole.”

  The me-chee sings in sweet flute timber. “Yes, ma’am!”

  The mayor slides into the me-chee chair, saying. “Ladies, they will go, first. So, we will start with Lamis then Duchie, then Ketona, then Jara, and finally Nephella. The gentlemen will be Rincon, first, which will be followed by Hatch, and then Buffo. The rules and teens are set and ready. See ya’ll on the other side. Lamis, you come along when ready into the park place, dear.” She smiles.

  The me-chee chair brightens in a gold shielding, covering most of her face. Then, the chair drops into the darkness.

  Lamis swings, running towards the bathroom.

  The me-chee is very quick, blocking the archway with her body as the sideways steel doors slide then lock into place. She says. “Yes, ma’am! No teen is to leave the Cubby Hole.”

  Lamis back steps, crying.

  I dash to Lamis, hugging and patting her arm. “Lamis, please, calm down! You must go, first. Please, breathe in and out, relaxing. We’re all nervous and scared, too. You will do fine. You get to the first hero of the rebellion, too.” I smile, giggling and nodding.

  Nephella hugs Lamis and Ketona, being taller. She says. “Lamis, you’ll do fine and dandy. I know it. I feel it. Are you ready? Do you need to brush your teeth? Or brush your hair? Or pee in the shower stall? Or piss in your new dress? That’d really stink up the auditorium.” She giggles with some of the teens.

  Lamis giggles, shaking her curls, wiping her tears. “I don’t wanna pee in my new dress. Can I keep my new dress?”

  The empty me-chee floats up then lands inside the golden auditorium. It had dropped the mayor inside the mysterious park place.

  Nephella nods, gently shoving Lamis towards the me-chee chair. “Of course, ya can. And, we can have a great big party, after this thing, wearing our pretty dresses. So, I guess, I want ruin my evening gown.”

  Lamis nods, walking towards the me-chee chair. The other teens hug and whisper into her face, wishing good luck. They back step from Lamis.

  Lamis stands beside the chair, slightly smiling, wiping the tears. “Okay! That would be fun, too. I am ready, too. I will pass, too.”

  Nephella nods. “You are ready. Go and get them, princess!”

  Lamis nods, sliding into the me-chee chair. The gold shielding covers her face. Then, the chair drops into the darkness.

  The room is quiet.

  Jara sobs inside Hatch’s biceps.

  I exhale then growl.

  Buffo hugs Ketona, saying. “I’m afraid for her.”

  “Me, too!” I whisper.

  The me-chee walks towards the front of the room, standing guard with the bathroom doors closed and locked.

  “What is the national product of the Pacific Island of Nauru, which has been mined for over 1,000 years and counting?” the mystery voice sounds within the Cubby Hole coming below the floor.

  Rincon whispers for his eardrums, only. “One Mississippi. Two Mississippi. Three Mississippi…”

  I bounce up and down with nervousness, saying. “I can hear the academic question. I can hear the me-chee host talking, like he’s inside the room. Does the room have a speaker, here? How’s that possible?”

  The me-chee chair raises then stops in place.

  Duchie walks around the room then stops at the me-chee chair. “The chair travels through a tunnel. The tunnel is hollow, without trashy debris and moving equipment. We’re hearing the echo of the host, inside the park place, asking the question to Lamis.”

  Buffo frowns. “What is the national product of the Pacific Island Nauru, which has been mined for over 1,000 years and counting?” He views the ceiling, thinking. He snaps his fingers, dropping his mouth.

  Hatch stands. “Shh! Listen for her answer to the academic question!”

  Rincon whispers. “Twenty nine Mississippi. Thirty Mississippi…”

  The Cubby Hole room echoes in both cheers and claps, coming from the hidden park place.

  Duchie frowns at Ketona, shaking her curls. “I didn’t hear her answer.”

  I giggle, bouncing up and down. “Who cares? Listen, the audience is cheering and clapping with happy celebration. Lamis got it right. She answered it, correctly. Yay hay! She’s safe and alright.”

  Rincon smiles. “And, she had thirty seconds to answer the question, correctly. I just counted using the Mississippi method…”

  Duchie exhales. “That isn’t a lot of time…”

  I giggle, bouncing around. “We all passed the Cubby Hole, before. Thirty seconds is plenty of time.”

  Buffo frowns. “We didn’t hear her answer.”

  Rincon nods and smiles. “Her question was extremely easy. The answer is bird droppings.”

  I giggle and nod. “Yeah, bird droppings are the natural product of Nauru. That’s an easy question. See, the mayor doesn’t have any power over poor, little innocent teens. Duchie goes, next.”

  Nephella shoves Duchie to the side, swinging and standing in front of the mechee chair. “No! I’m going next to address my complaint to the audience. I am a Colfaxian, too. I am going to proclaim my mama insane and order her arrest and then her impeachment. This is my moment to mess up my mama. Wish me luck!”

  Rincon nods. “We should go, together and proclaim that complaint.”

  Nephella slides into the chair. “Only one teen can glide into the chair. Ya’ll come in one at time as stated by the stupid Cubby Hole, making the cowardly Colfaxians feel good. I’ll see ya’ll on the other side.” The me-chee chair glows in gold then drops into the darkness.

  I smile with happiness, spinning around in my new gown then halt. I narrow my eyelashes at the me-chee then giggle. I bounce side
to side as my cell necklace sways side to side. I halt in front of the me-chee.

  The me-chee stares over the hair roots of Ketona, being taller. “No teen is to leave the Cubby Hole.”

  “I know that. However, you can leave the Cubby Hole. Right, me-chee?” I giggle.

  The me-chee stares over the hair roots of Ketona, being taller. “I can leave the Cubby Hole.”

  I giggle then slam my fist into her left breast.

  The me-chee eye sockets blink into blackness then falls forward onto the hard tile with a loud clunk. It’s too heavy to catch.

  I giggle, standing over the metal body

  Buffo gasps, swinging to her and the me-chee. He walks, asking. “What’da ya do, Ketona?”

  I squat, grabbing the arm. “Help me, flip her over. I’m giving her a new command, find my parents.”

  Rincon, Hatch, and Buffo grab a metal limb, gently flipping the me-chee over on its back muscles.

  I present the nail clippers with the steel fingernail file then fling off the throat panel. I press some buttons then sing in my lovely natural voice. “Ketona.” I re-program the me-chee to follow my instructions. I giggle then stands, waving my arms. “Everyone move back.”

  Rincon, Hatch, and Buffo stand away from the me-chee.

  The me-chee stands, blinking its eye sockets in green.

  I giggle. “Me-chee, find my biological parents, now, and then bring them inside the Cubby Hole. Go!”

  The me-chee blinks its eye sockets in the color red for a command then marches towards the sealed and locked steel doors. The door open then the me-chee walks through girl’s bathroom archway.

  I giggle, bouncing around with happiness. “It worked. Only the me-chee can exit the Cubby Hole, per the mayor of Colfax. She should be careful with her commands. So, my parents come and collect us inside the Cubby Hole. When they arrive, we tattle to them, helping the mayor get permanently canned, instead of us.”

  The teens nod.

  “What is the value of y, when 4x + 5 = 5y - 8?” The me-chee host, inside the hidden park place, echoes his voice throughout the Cubby Hole room.

  The me-chee chair rises from the darkness, settling into the same spot.

  Rincon counts out loud. “One Mississippi. Two Mississippi. Three Mississippi…”

  I exhale, nodding at Buffo. “I’ll go, next.”

  Duchie scoots beside Ketona, frowning with confusion. “I go, next.”

  I smile and say. “Naw. If my parents arrive, here, and find me missing, then they’ll get really mad at the mayor. They’ll insist upon entering the park place then the mayor will be in bigger trouble from them and us and the others.”

  Buffo hugs and nods to Ketona. “Brilliant plan, honey! Let Ketona go, next! The me-chee is tracking down her parents at her house. Then, when they arrive, we’ll send them down inside the me-chee chair. Then, they’ll really be both mad and upset. Then, the mayor’s plans will be both folded and foiled.”

  The Cubby Hole room echoes in loud cheers and claps from within the hidden park place.

  I bounce and giggle, nodding and smiling at Buffo. I say. “Nephella has passed her academic question, too. This is too easy for us. I bet the mayor is both mad and surprised, being we’re the smarter ones, here.” I giggle, hugging then kissing Buffo. I pull back, smiling. “Wish me luck!”

  Buffo cuddles her, saying. “I wish you love. I’ll come right after your parents land inside the park place. Okay!?”

  “Okay!” I nod, sliding into the me-chee chair. I exhale with nervousness.

  The me-chee chair glows in its golden shielding. I barely see the happy smile on Buffo. Then, the chair drops into darkness. I scream with fright.

  Chapter 11

  new park place

  The me-chee chair slowly rises among the white smoke. I narrow my eyelashes, surveying the room. The tiny room is golden color, squared shaped, but smaller in size compared to the previous park places, during the actually run of the Cubby Hole.

  I sit inside the chair, not hearing the audience with loud yells or numerous claps. I exhale with nervousness, sliding out then wobbling side to side in the new pair of high heels. I giggle with excitement.

  I stomp from the tiny room onto a long wide stage in white. The rear wall is solid white. The side walls are white and partial opened, showing a split stage. The stage splits into three different sections. The side section, in front of my eyelashes, shows a blinding bright light.

  I halt, gasping. I cover my mouth.

  Her neck shows a knotted tight rope inside the v-neckline collar of her yellow dress. Lamis hangs by her neck from a homemade hangman’s gallows of natural wood. Her face doesn’t show the pretty pink cheeks or red lips, instead, her face is painted in dull blue. Her body swings slowly side to side. Her shoulders and arms slump into her body. Her yellow dress hovers in the air, like magic, not touching the homemade wooden platform.

  Nephella hangs dead by her neck, too. Her face is dull blue. Her body does not swing side to side, since her long black dress with the dress train stops the motion. The tail of dress hugs the rough wood.

  The mayor shouts as her voice echoes around the auditorium. “Please, welcome the next criminal from the cubby Hole.”

  I growl then dart my eyeballs at the mayor. She stands next to Marsilla on a small platform in the center of the auditorium.

  The audience hides inside the bare darkness among the dull lighting, not making any noise, like a group of stalking wild animals.

  I see only the white of their eyeballs and the white teeth from grins, gleaming among the blackness. Then, I exhale, darting my eyeballs from Lamis and Nephella. I quickly pad towards the single chair in the middle of the stage. I slide into the chair, wiping the tears from my eyeballs. I exhale, calming my scattered raw nerves. “Calm. Concentrate. Don’t give into the scare tactic.”

  The me-chee host in the corner wall says. “The time limit is thirty seconds. A bakery in Montag loses its profit equal to 30 percent of total sales. The profit or loss is shared equally among the four shop owners of the bakery. If the bakery shop generates sales of five million dollars, how much money does each one of the four shop owners lose?”

  Now, I understand, why the question is so easy for missing the question from terrible fright. Now, I understand, why my parents are not present, here, to miss my death hanging. Now, I understand why the mayor is absolutely crazy. Now, I understand everyone is going to die, if they don’t answer the question, correctly. I whisper for my eardrums, only. “I will win, bitch!” I close my eyelashes, removing the negative thoughts and images from my active mind. I think, without speaking.

  The total sales are five million dollars. The profit margin is 30 percent. Five million dollars times 30 percent equals 1.5 million dollars. Then, 1.5 million dollars divided by four shop owners is 375,000 dollars of profit, each.

  I smile, opening my eyelashes, shouting. “375,000.” I gasp. “…negative. Each shop owner receives a negative 375,000 dollars, not a positive profit math number.” I exhale, forgetting the question, a loss of profit, not a gain.

  The me-chee host says. “The answer is correct. She is correct. The answer is a negative 375,000 dollars.”

  The mayor sneers. “Please, remove your person from the chair. Sit along the empty row of four chairs. The four chairs represent the four dream jobs available in posh city of Colfax. Please, welcome the newest member of Colfax by clapping and cheering...”

  I sneer, sliding out the me-chee chair. I view the floor then stop. I view the audience of dark faces and white eyeballs and matching teeth, only.

  The room is silence.

  I hear my breathing then sneer. I walk towards the opposite of the stage, which is across from the hangman’s gallows. I slowly sit inside the first chair, exhaling with fear, fright, angry, sadness, relieve plus too many teen emotions. I turn my face away from Lamis and Nephella, hanging by their necks upon the homemade wooden hangman’s gallows. I exhale, sobbing with tears. I paw the ne
cklace cell, worrying about my friends and Buffo. Then, I see.

  Duchie is crossing the stage. She wiggles side to side with happiness, exiting the smaller room, holding one single me-chee chair. Duchie has to tell Ketona that her parents haven’t arrived, yet for some strange reason. She halts, grabbing her mouth, sobbing with tears.

  Lamis hangs by her neck. Her face is painted in dull blue. Her body swings slowly side to side. Her yellow dress hovers in the air, like magic, not touching the homemade wooden platform.

  Nephella hangs dead by her neck, too. Her face is dull blue. Her body does not swing side to side, since her long black dress with the dress train stops the motion. The tail of dress hugs the rough wood.

  Duchie sniffs the snot into her nose then cuts her eyelashes to the mayor, wiping her dirty hands on her new gown. The mayor stands on top of a small platform, dressed in her golden suit. The mayor stands besides Marsilla.

  Duchie wipes the makeup from her wet eyelashes, stomping towards the single me-chee chair.

  The chair faces the wall, not the audience.

  She whispers for her eardrums, only. “I am not scared of you, Ms. Mayor. You will not winning, here. I am winning, here.” She slides into the me-chee chair. It does not glow or shine with a colorful shielding. It is a piece of furniture for the question.

  The me-chee host says. “The time limit is thirty seconds. When a twelve hour clock shows exactly one o’clock, what is the degree measure of the acute angle formed by the two hands?”

  Duchie wipes the tears, seeing the question upon the white wall, also. She exhales, not speaking with her tongue but thinking with her smart mind.

  The real test is the real terror factor. Lamis did not answer her academic question, since she did not know the answer. Lamis was hoping a wrong answer would eliminate her from death.

  Nephella refused to answer her academic question, hoping her loving mama would not sentence her only child to death.

  Duchie exhales, closing her eyelashes, calming her mind.

  Her mind can think faster than her lip movement, anyways. A complete rotation around an analogy clock represents 360 degrees. There are twelve hours, markings the twelve numbers around an analogy clock. One o’clock represents one/twelfth of a completed rotation. One/twelfth times 360 degrees equals 30 degrees.